Demonstrators hit lawn of B.C. Legislature for Global Day of Climate Action

Hundreds of people gathered out front the B.C. Legislature on Saturday to celebrate the reversed approval of the Trans Mountain pipeline during the Global Day of Climate Change.

The movement comes from an international effort called “Rise for Climate,” which is happening today in over 900 cities in 95 countries around the world.

The Victoria gathering was spearheaded by Rise and Resist, and featured climate activists as speakers, a group mural project and discussion groups focusing on various environmental topics.

Activist and group member Sue Andrews said demonstrators are calling “governments to act on climate and to ask them to stop all fossil fuel projects, and to move immediately to take the world to 100 per cent renewable energy.”

Participants brought colourful handmade posters and signage, and life-sized inflatable whales on poles, including one orca whale carrying a calf on her head.

After initial speeches, people dispersed into smaller groups to exchange ideas and network.

“Our objective of this was citizen engagement and action going forward, and so everything today is focused on the theme: to change everything we need everyone,” Andrews said. “So we’re wanting activities on that to actually make a difference going forward.”

A similar event, the Rise for Climate! march and rally is set to start at 4 p.m. in downtown Vancouver. Other events are taking place in Kelowna, Castlegar, Nelson and Chilliwack.